On Sunday, 19 March 2023, the third Sunday of Great and Holy Lent, Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, officiated at the Divine Liturgy at the venerable Patriarchal Church of Saint George, Phanar.
Along with the Ecumenical Patriarch, Metropolitan Meliton of Philadelphia, Metropolitan Irenaios of Myriophytos and Peristasis, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Myra, Metropolitan Theodoritos of Laodicea and Metropolitan Ioakeim of Bursa, were also present for the Divine Liturgy.
The Divine Liturgy was conducted, according to Church Order, by the Chief Secretary of the Sacred and Holy Synod, Archimandrite Grigorios, with the Undersecretary, Deacon Bosporios. The Divine Word was preached by the 2nd Deacon, Fr. Alexandros.
Also present for the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, were, Bishop Adrianos of Halicarnassus, Danai Vasilaki, Consul of Greece in Constantinople, and a large number of believers from Constantinople and abroad. On the eve of the feast day, the Ecumenical Patriarch officiated at the Great Vespers, which was attended by a large number of believers.
On Sunday afternoon, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew officiated at the Lenten Vespers at the Holy Church of Saint Dimitrios, Tatavla. At the Vespers, the Divine Word was preached by Deacon Meletios Stefanatos.
Present also for the Lenten Vespers Service were Metropolitan Stephanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos, overseer of the Tatavla district, Bishop Kassianos of Aravissos, Abbot of the Holy Monastery of The Holy Trinity, Halki, Archons of the Great Church of Christ and a large congregation of faithful.
Photos: Nikos Papachristou / Ecumenical Patriarchate